In January 2024, spiritual advisor Reverend Jeff Hood stood witness in Alabama to the country’s first nitrogen execution. It was a horrific experience, he says, like watching a goldfish out of water, but far worse. Last week, though, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling that blocked one Alabama man’s execution on grounds that the use of nitrogen gas constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. That case sets a precedent that could effectively prevent such a method from being used again on